David Coote: FA investigating claims referee discussed giving yellow card

The Football Association is looking into claims that referee David Coote talked about issuing a yellow card prior to a match.

The accusations focus on a series of messages that were exchanged before and after Coote officiated the Championship match between Leeds and West Brom in October 2019, during which he issued a yellow card to Leeds defender Ezgjan Alioski.

The Sun reports that the messages were exchanged between Coote and a friend. After the game, Coote reportedly sent a text that said, “What an incredible day yesterday. I trust you placed your bets as we talked about.”

Coote has rejected any claims of misconduct. This month, he was suspended by the organization overseeing professional game officials after he was caught making offensive remarks about Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool. Just two days later, a video surfaced where he seemingly was seen sniffing a substance that looked like white powder.

Coote responded to the claims of receiving a yellow card by saying, "I completely deny these unfounded and damaging accusations. Any personal challenges I may have faced have never influenced my judgment during games. I have consistently prioritized the integrity of the sport, officiating matches fairly and to the best of my skills."

The Football Association stated, "These accusations are extremely serious, and we are conducting an urgent investigation."

PGMOL stated: “We need to clarify the details regarding these serious accusations. We have a strict zero-tolerance policy for any violations of our integrity standards, which all match officials agree to each year. The PGMOL board is dedicated to taking the necessary steps if any violation of this code is confirmed.”

David Coote is still under suspension and is facing an ongoing disciplinary process from PGMOL. This is separate from the independent investigation that the FA will conduct regarding this situation. At this time, we won’t be providing any additional comments.

Leeds issued a statement on Wednesday acknowledging the allegations and expressing their respect and complete trust in the regulations and procedures of the FA, EFL, and PGMOL.